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Embarrassing Question: Have You Ever Forgotten to Take a Tampon Out?

Don't ask how a conversation with friends veered into the territory of tampons (cringe), but out of the group of women I was chatting with recently, several admitted to a tampon oops, which, as you know, can result in a frightening health issue that we all know as Toxic Shock Syndrome. Have you ever had a tampon oops?

I was curious, after reading a post over on MomLogic about the facts about Toxic Shock Syndrome (or TSS), which, as you know, has been linked to incidents of tampons being left in place too long. Let's have a little refresher, shall we?

"TSS is essentially an infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus--or staph--bacteria," the MomLogic bloggers write. "Symptoms include high fever and confusion, which then can rapidly progress to coma and eventually organ shutdown and even death. It also shows up as a rash, similar to a sunburn, and can be anywhere on the body, including the feet, lips, mouth, eyes, and hands."

Here's more from Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, an OB/GYN: "If you don't have a fever or flu-like symptoms, don't freak out," she says. "Toxic Shock is not very common, though it can be very bad--so if you know you left a tampon (or 2) in and can't get them out yourself, see your provider immediately! She or he may recommend treatment."

Have you ever left a tampon in for too long? If so, how long? And did you have any symptoms of TSS?